AUTILITY

SHORT SUMMARY

The cooperative research project AUTILITY deals with the automation of work and transport tasks in two different application areas: surface processing and air freight transport. The aim is to reduce the stress and hazards to people in complex work processes, especially under difficult environmental conditions. The consortium, consisting of Austrian research institutions and industrial partners, has set itself the goal of achieving significant progress in this area. The basis for the development activities in the project is a multifunctional platform that can be used both as a towing vehicle and as an equipment carrier. Using innovative technical methods, this vehicle is to be further developed for automated use and tested under real conditions. 

OBJECTIVES

• Research, development and demonstration of key technologies that enable automated transport and workflows
• Improved scene understanding through new approaches to object classification and pose estimation based on machine learning as well as methods for the reliable recognition of objects and object features
• Reliable and secure outdoor localization and mapping based on multimodal approaches and innovative camera-based methods
• Reliable obstacle detection and collision avoidance
• Exploration of suitable system architectures, data processing platforms and communication mechanisms taking into account security requirements 

RESEARCH TOPICS

• Development of a system concept for autonomous transport and work processes
• Automation of a multifunctional equipment carrier
• Camera-based analysis and scene evaluation
• Semantic mapping in dynamic environments
• Modular sensor concept for reliable obstacle detection
• Flexible localization methods for changing work environments

Partner

• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
• FH Oberösterreich University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria | Smart Automation Robotics 
• Linz Airport GesmbH
• REFORM-WERKE Bauer & Co Gesellschaft m.b.H.
• TTTech Auto AG